HP 355 G2 Notebook Review Update

Decent computer, good price. HP demands 369 Euros (~$458) for its 355 G2. The buyer gets an office laptop with two operating systems (Windows 7 Pro (64-bit), Windows 8 Pro (64-bit)), a quad-core processor, and a dedicated Radeon graphics core for the money. Can buying a laptop for this price be a mistake?

We recently tested the identically built HP 350 G1 sister model of the HP 355 now at hand. While the 350 is powered by an Intel processor, an AMD APU clocks inside the 355. Beyond that, both laptops feature a dedicated Radeon graphics core. The models of the 350 and 355 lineup have been conceived for home and office use. The 350 could convince us that it is apt for this application field. Our report reveals whether that is also true for the 355.

Since HP's 355 and 350 feature identical builds, we will not go in-depth about casing, connectivity, input devices or speakers. The corresponding information can be found in the review of the HP 350.

Display

HP's 355 sports a matte, 15.6-inch screen with a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels. The screen's brightness (213.2 cd/m²), contrast (174:1) and black level (1.21 cd/m²) are not convincing. Though the brightness would still be acceptable in view of the price level, the contrast and black level should be better.

The screen's poor rates continue in color reproduction. It has an average DeltaE 2000 shift of 13.28 in state of delivery. The target would be a rate less than 3. Furthermore, the screen exhibits an obvious bluish cast.

CalMAN - ColorChecker

CalMAN - Grayscale

CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps

HP 355 outdoors (shot under heavy cloud cover)

The installed TN screen can only offer limited viewing angles. However, this was to be expected from a 15.6-inch laptop of this price range. The device can be used outdoors owing to the screen's matte surface.

Performance

HP's 355 lineup provides office laptops for both home and professional use. The devices are powered by AMD APUs. The APU in our review sample is more than sufficient for applications from the office and Internet fields. The model we were provided with is sold for 370 Euros (~$459). The laptop is available for 290 Euros (~$359) when neither operating system is needed.

Processor

An A8-6410 APU (Beema) from AMD clocks inside HP's 355. With a TDP of 15 watts, it is on par with Intel's Haswell ULV processors. The CPU part is comprised of a quad-core processor that operates with a base speed of 2 GHz, which can be boosted to 2.4 GHz via Turbo. The full computing power is usually available in AC mode. The processor performed the single-thread tests of the Cinebench benchmarks with 2.4 GHz. The multi-thread tests ran with 2 to 2.2 GHz. The tests were performed with slightly lower speeds in battery mode (single: 2.2 to 2.4 GHz; multi: 1.6 to 1.8 GHz). All together, the performance of AMD's processor is roughly on a level with a ULV Core i3 processor from Intel.

System Performance

The system runs smoothly, which the good PCMark scores underline. However, HP's 355 cannot match the results of the HP 350 sister model because it sports a weaker processor. Basically, the device is roughly on par with a Core i3 laptop, such as Acer's Extensa 2510. Nevertheless, HP's 355 scores somewhat better owing to its dedicated graphics core.

Storage Devices

Data is stored on a hard drive from Toshiba. It has a capacity of 500 GB and spins with a speed of 5400 revolutions per minute. The transfer rates were as expected and correspond to what we are used to from modern 5400 rpm hard drives. Unlike HP's 350 that we tested, HP's 355 is not equipped with an mSATA slot. However, one of the solid state drives inserted into this slot can only be used as an SSD cache; the slot is not bootable.

Graphics Card

GPU-Z - Radeon R5 M240

GPU-Z - Radeon R5 (Beema)

Although two AMD graphics chips in the forms of the Radeon R5 (Beema) and a dedicated Radeon R5 M240 GPU are installed in HP's laptop, they do not operate in dual-graphics mode. AMD does not provide this in its Beema APUs. Thus, a graphics-switching solution (Enduro) has been implemented. The integrated GPU is enabled in routine and battery mode. The dedicated graphics core takes care of performance-devouring applications like computer games. Switching is normally performed automatically, but the user sometimes has to intervene manually. Nvidia's graphics switching solution (Optimus) functions more smoothly.

The dedicated AMD GPU is a member of the entry-level graphics cores. It supports DirectX 11.2 and clocks with speeds of up to 1030 MHz. The graphics core's performance is virtually on the same level as the Radeon HD 8670M core in HP's 350. However, the Radeon R5 240 core operates with a slightly higher speed. The 3DMark benchmark scores show that the core is located between Nvidia's GeForce 820M and 825M graphics cores.

Gaming Performance

Like HP's 350, the 355 is not a gaming laptop. Nevertheless, an occasional game is possible because the laptop can smoothly render many titles even if only in a low resolution and low to sometimes medium quality settings. Hardware-devouring games, such as Ryse: Son of Rome and Thief, do not achieve a playable frame rate. Generally, the gaming power of HP's 355 is on par with HP's 350. The 350 has the lead in CPU-heavy games due to its stronger processor. Although HP's 355 could still place itself between the GeForce 820M and GeForce 825M cores in the 3DMark benchmarks, it usually lags behind laptops that feature a GeForce 820M GPU in gaming practice.

Emissions

System Noise

Like the fan in HP's 350, the fan in HP's 355 is never idle. The reason for this is also the same: the BIOS option "Fan always on" is enabled. The fan even sometimes stops spinning when the option is disabled. But that only applies to idle mode. The fan increases it speed considerably as soon as the laptop is loaded. We measured a noise level of up to 46.5 dB during the stress test. Consequently, the 355 is on par with the 350.

Noise Level

Idle

33.2 / 33.2 / 33.8 dB(A)

HDD

33.2 dB(A)

DVD

37.4 / dB(A)

Load

42 / 46.5 dB(A)

30 dBsilent

40 dB(A)audible

50 dB(A)loud

min: , med: , max: Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance)

Temperature

HP 355 in the stress test

The graphics core in the 355 processed the stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run for at least one hour) in AC mode and battery mode with full speed (2.4 GHz). The processor operates with 1.6 to 1.8 GHz in battery mode and 2 to 2.2 GHz in AC mode. Like HP's 350, the 355 also barely heated up during the stress test - due to the fan's high speed increase. The casing's temperatures remained clearly below 40 °C on every measured point.

(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 29.5 °C / 85 F, compared to the average of 29.4 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37.2 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 34 °C / 93 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 36 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 36.5 °C / 98 F(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.9 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 29.4 °C / 85 F.(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32.9 °C / 91.2 F) and are therefore not hot. (-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (-4.8 °C / -8.6 F).

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The power consumption of both HP laptops is also identical and is on par over the entire load range. Both devices are satisfied with a power consumption of below 10 watts when idling. The energy requirement increased up to 46 watts during the stress test. These rates are acceptable in view of the hardware configuration.

Power Consumption

Off / Standby

0 / 0.2 Watt

Idle

3.9 / 6.6 / 7.6 Watt

Load

35.7 / 46.2 Watt

Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Voltcraft VC 940

Battery Runtime

Websites are opened automatically every 40 seconds in the real-world Wi-Fi test. The energy-saving profile is enabled, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². HP's 355 achieved a runtime of 4:43 hours under these conditions, which is just marginally shorter than its HP 350 sister model. A competition model like Acer's Extensa 2510 (6:31 h) lasts considerably longer than either one of HP's laptops.

Verdict

HP's 355 G2 is overall compelling. HP has added a well-conceived low-cost office laptop to its lineup. It provides a decent application performance and can offer good battery runtimes. The graphics core even allows playing some games. As appropriate for an office device, it also features a good keyboard and matte screen. Like the model installed in HP's 350 device, the latter is not particularly convincing. Its brightness, contrast, and color reproduction could be (considerably) better. In contrast to HP's 350, the 355 model we tested does not have an mSATA slot.

We naturally like the laptop's price the most: 369 Euros (~$458) is due for the laptop that is shipped with two operating systems (290 Euros, ~$359, w/o Windows operating systems). That is over 200 Euros (~$248) less than is demanded for the HP 350. However, a lower CPU performance has to be accepted, which is still absolutely enough for routine use in any event. Buyers who opt for the AMD-based computer can invest the money saved compared to HP's 350 in a solid state drive and/or a warranty upgrade. HP also only includes a 12-month warranty for its 355.